Interview: Andrew Forsman from The Fall of Troy

June 27, 2016

One of the most influential math-rock bands of the 2000s, THE FALL OF TROY are back together and kicking off their brand new album tour in Australia. It’s their first visit since playing Soundwave back in 2008 and with new album ‘OK’ in tow, promises to be a blistering whirlwind of a live set.

With support at all 3 shows from CLOSURE IN MOSCOW, MENISCUS and OSAKA PUNCH we are pretty pumped about this one, so happily got the chance to chat with drummer ANDREW FORSMAN before they hit our shores next week.

It’s exciting for us to see the band for the first time since the new album came out. How does it feel to be heading back to Australia after 8 years?

It’s really surreal, for a lot of years I didn’t think that I would be back in Australia for anything other than a vacation. It’s especially cool to be able to come back with Tim (bass). When we were there previously, we had just kicked him out, and so it was somewhat bittersweet. I’m happy to get to go with Tim this time.

What brought the band back together after your hiatus?

Our friend wanted us to do some reunion shows for his birthday. It had also been long enough for a lot of bad feelings associated with each other to dissipate, and so we all had a curiosity regarding what it would be like to play together again.

How long has the new album ‘OK’ been in the works? Was it always the plan to release two versions or did that come later?

We worked on it for the better part of a year, a lot of which was just us learning how to be in the same room, working on music again. We each had written music on our own in the interim, and so it was a bit of an adjustment to get back working with others. There were definitely some arguments about how many quarter-note rests should be in specific parts, but once we got back in the swing of things, it went pretty smoothly.

The multiple album release idea came in the mixing phase of the album process. After hearing each of the mixes, we were divided on which one to release, and eventually remembered that we could do whatever we wanted, since we weren’t beholden to anyone other than ourselves and our supporters. It then spiraled into alternate artwork, and became something we got pretty excited about.

It’s quite a surprise to fans to receive the album potentially for free – or with the flexibility to pay what they want. How has this gone for you so far? Does it leave a hole in the band’s finances?

It’s been great, and felt the best of any album release so far. We may have been able to make more money with a standard release, but it would’ve been counter to what we want the band to be at this point, and so it wouldn’t feel as good as what we’ve done.

We have paid off the album’s cost of production at this point, and made a little money on top of that. It gives us a lot of hope that this is something we can continue to do in the future.

Has your perspective on making music or touring changed since the band has come back together?

Definitely, it seems like a total bonus round at this point. I worked a bunch of “normal” jobs in the time that we weren’t a band (aerospace assembly, appliance delivery, animal insurance). While the band thing is a bit more involved than those, you don’t really clock out at the end of the show and go home to watch TV or whatever, its much more fulfilling. I never had the perspective that working a 9-5 gave me before, since I had been doing the band from the age of 17 on. I feel really lucky to be able to play music for a living, and definitely don’t take it for granted at all.

You have a massive world tour coming up. Are there any plans beyond the current tour as yet?

Just trying to get more new music out, we have some stuff in the process of being recorded right now that will appeal to the fans of our early, early, even pre-TFOT stuff. Each of us has solo and other side projects that are being worked on as well, so I’m sure we are all hoping to get that out there in the next year or so. The band is renowned for flashy musicianship as well as memorable songwriting. Does the prog tag or math-rock tag mean anything to you? Are there bands or genres you identify with?

Those tags are mostly helpful for fans, or people who are trying to find more music that adheres to a specific style that they have found engaging. We never set out to fall into a math or prog-rock category, although many of the bands that we love, and were listening to when we first started playing music definitely have those elements.

Bands like Botch, The Blood Brothers, Raft of Dead Monkeys, Unwed Sailor, At The Drive-In, and The Mars Volta all were pretty big influences at first. Now, personally, I love And So I Watch You From Afar, Chon, Adebisi Shank, and Save Us From The Archon as far those styles are concerned.

You’re playing with some pretty epic local bands in Australia – Closure in Moscow, Meniscus and Osaka Punch, are you aware of them at all in the US?

We know Closure in Moscow, as they were on the same label we used to be on (Equal Vision), but aside from that, no. We are excited to play with everyone though, its always cool to get to experience new bands.

Anything you’re particularly looking forward to doing over here?

Eating Kangaroo again, picking up a years worth of Lucas’ Papaw Ointment, and being sad we can’t go to Uluru. Also playing for people who live on the other side of the world.

OzProg

OzProg has been a part of the progressive rock and metal landscape in Australia since 2003, keeping the music-loving public updated on the latest happenings in the prog world as well as helping bands, labels and other music industry figures get their names heard with our music industry services.